The Federal Trade Commission is warning that fake health-plan websites made to look like the government’s own are showing up in search results as Open Enrollment begins. In a consumer alert published September 28, the agency’s Bureau of Consumer Protection says scammers and dishonest businesses sometimes pay to rank at the top of search results. Their web addresses can resemble real government sites.
The alert is a warning, not an enforcement action. It names no company and no victims. It says that clicking or calling from one of these ads can lead to a “scammy plan” that is not real health insurance, or to medical identity theft.
The timing matters for older people. Medicare’s Open Enrollment Period, when people can join, drop or switch Medicare Advantage and drug plans, runs October 15 to December 7. Anyone on Medicare who is shopping for a plan this fall is searching at the same time as the scammers are buying ads.
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How the fake sites get in front of shoppers
The FTC says the sites use keywords and official-looking logos to pass for HealthCare.gov or Medicare.gov. The ad sits above the real results, so a quick search can send a person to the wrong place before they scroll.
The agency raised the same problem in a June 9 alert titled “Searching for health insurance? Keep scrolling to avoid government impersonators.” That alert says dishonest businesses pay for ads that look like government sites, with the goal of getting people to share personal information, pay unneeded fees or sign up for misleading services. It points to the FTC’s earlier settlement with MediaAlpha, where a search for “aca insurance” put an impersonator first.
Another FTC page on Medicare impersonators adds related tricks. Free phones or cash cards offered for signing up for a health plan are likely scams, it says. So are requests to “confirm” a Medicare number.
The tells the FTC points to
The alerts give a short list. A small “Ad” or “Sponsored” label means someone paid for the placement. A real federal site ends in .gov, so a .com or .org ending on a page that claims to be HealthCare.gov or Medicare.gov is a warning sign.
The FTC’s advice is to skip the paid results and type the official address directly into the browser. For Medicare, that is Medicare.gov or 1-800-633-4227. For Affordable Care Act plans, it is HealthCare.gov or 1-800-318-2596.
People on the ACA marketplace have a later window. HealthCare.gov lists November 1 as the start of Open Enrollment for 2027 coverage, December 15 as the last day to enroll for coverage starting January 1, and January 15 as the end.
The real enrollment steps are plain. On Medicare.gov, people can join, drop or switch a Medicare Advantage plan or a drug plan during the period. Coverage starts January 1, but the plan has to receive the request by December 7. No real site needs a gift card, a free phone or a cash payment to sign someone up.
Medicare.gov also warns people to be wary of anyone offering money or gifts for free care. It says to share a Medicare card, Medicare number or Social Security number only with a doctor or people who should have them, such as a SHIP counselor.
Free local help
The FTC points people to two free sources of in-person or phone help. One is the State Health Insurance Assistance Program, known as SHIP. The other is a local Senior Medicare Patrol. For marketplace plans, HealthCare.gov has a “Find Local Help” option.
The FTC said a roundtable on Medicare and health care scams was set for September 29 at 1 p.m. Eastern, with speakers from the FTC, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Senior Medicare Patrol. The alert does not describe what was said there.
The stakes are not small. An FTC alert on the Medicare impersonators page says fraud, errors and abuse cost taxpayers about $60 billion a year. It lists billing for items never provided and fake Medicare drug plans among the examples.
If details have already gone to a lookalike site
The FTC alert says to report suspected health insurance scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to a state attorney general. For Medicare scams, it says to report at Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE.
The alert does not lay out steps for someone who has already handed over information. Medicare.gov’s fraud page fills some of that in. It says to report identity theft at IdentityTheft.gov, contact a local SHIP, and see its Medicare card guidance if a card is lost or stolen. Fraud can also be reported to the Health and Human Services inspector general or, for people in a Medicare Advantage or drug plan, to the plan’s I-MEDIC line at 1-877-772-3379.
Medicare.gov also advises comparing the services on your calendar with your Medicare statements. A secure Medicare.gov account shows Original Medicare claims as soon as they are processed. It adds that Medicare will not call to sell you something or visit your home, and that a person should not join a plan over the phone unless they called Medicare for help.
IdentityTheft.gov, linked to the FTC, says recovering from identity theft is a process and offers a step-by-step recovery plan after a report is filed. Its topics include credit freezes, which block new credit from being opened in a person’s name.
Did you land on the real Medicare.gov?
The FTC says the address bar is the first thing to check.
A Medicare number or Social Security number typed into a lookalike page can be used long after the plan search is over. The first hours after a mistake are when a report and a lock on credit do the most.
The Senior Fraud Defense & First-Hour Recovery Kit sets out the free credit-freeze steps and a first-hour plan for after a scam. It also includes a fraud evidence and report log, so the reports to the FTC and Medicare are written down in one place.
Use the Fraud Defense Kit to lock your credit and log every report after a fake enrollment site →
More Financial Reading
- 15 Steps to Stop the Scams That Took $7.7 Billion From Seniors
- 21 Ways to Stretch a $2,087 Social Security Check
- 17 Medicare Money Moves Now That Part D Caps at $2,400
This article was produced with the assistance of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
Warren Cohen is a finance writer based in Phoenix, Arizona, covering personal finance topics including credit, banking, and beginner investing. He earned his degree in business administration from Arizona State University and began his career working in consumer finance, where he gained direct experience with lending and credit systems. He now writes for personal finance websites and fintech platforms, focusing on clear, practical content that helps readers make informed financial decisions.
